Energy management system for glider type vehicle Patent

Data processing and display system for terminal guidance of X-15 aircraf

Riparian plant water relations along the north fork of the Kings River, California

Plant water relations of five obligate ripar-ian species were studied along California\u27s North Fork Kings River. Diurnal stomatal conductance, transpi-ration, and xylem pressure potentials were measured throughout the 1986 growing season and in mid-season in 1987. Patterns were similar for all species although absolute values varied considerably. Maximum stomatal conductance occurred early in the day and season during favorable environmental conditions and decreased as air temperature and the vapor pressure difference between the leaf and air increased. Maximum transpiration rates occurred in mid-morning and mid-summer resulting in estimated daily water losses per unit sunlit leaf area of 163-328 mol H2O m-2. Predawn xylem pressure poten-tials remained high in 1986 when streamflows averaged 1.41 m3/s (50 cfs), however they were notably lower in 1987 at 0.7 m3/s (25 cfs)

Space shuttle orbiter reusable surface insulation flight results

The first five flights of the orbiter Columbia provided the initial data required to certify the operational performance of the reusable surface insulation (RSI) thermal protection system (TPS). The flight performance characteristics of the RIS TPS are discussed. The discussion is based primarily on postflight inspections and postflight interpretation of the flight instrumentation. TPS modifications of the future orbiters (OV-099, 103, and subs) are also discussed

Identification of mouse gaits using a novel force-sensing exercise wheel

The gaits that animals use can provide information on neurological and musculoskeletal disorders, as well as the biomechanics of locomotion. Mice are a common research model in many fields; however, there is no consensus in the literature on how (and if) mouse gaits vary with speed. One of the challenges in studying mouse gaits is that mice tend to run intermittently on treadmills or overground; this paper attempts to overcome this issue with a novel exercise wheel that measures vertical ground reaction forces. Unlike previous instrumented wheels, this wheel is able to measure forces continuously and can therefore record data from consecutive strides. By concatenating the maximum limb force at each time point, a force trace can be constructed to quantify and identify gaits. The wheel was three dimensionally printed, allowing the design to be shared with other researchers. The kinematic parameters measured by the wheel were evaluated using high-speed video. Gaits were classified using a metric called “3S” (stride signal symmetry), which quantifies the half wave symmetry of the force trace peaks. Although mice are capable of using both symmetric and asymmetric gaits throughout their speed range, the continuum of gaits can be divided into regions based on the frequency of symmetric and asymmetric gaits; these divisions are further supported by the fact that mice run less frequently at speeds near the boundaries between regions. The boundary speeds correspond to gait transition speeds predicted by the hypothesis that mice move in a dynamically similar fashion to other legged animals

Emissivity coatings for low-temperature space radiators Quarterly progress report no. 1, 1 Jul. - 30 Sep. 1965

Emissivity coatings for low temperature spacecraft radiator

Thermal insulation protection means

A system for providing thermal insulation for portions of a spacecraft which do not exceed 900 F during ascent or reentry relative to the earth's atmosphere is described. The thermal insulation is formed of relatively large flexible sheets of needled Nomex felt having a flexible waterproof coating. The thickness of the felt is sized to protect against projected temperatures and is attached to the structure by a resin adhesive. Vent holes in the sheets allow ventilation while maintaining waterproofing. The system is heat treated to provide thermal stability

The application of artificial intelligence techniques to large distributed networks

Data accessibility and transfer of information, including the land resources information system pilot, are structured as large computer information networks. These pilot efforts include the reduction of the difficulty to find and use data, reducing processing costs, and minimize incompatibility between data sources. Artificial Intelligence (AI) techniques were suggested to achieve these goals. The applicability of certain AI techniques are explored in the context of distributed problem solving systems and the pilot land data system (PLDS). The topics discussed include: PLDS and its data processing requirements, expert systems and PLDS, distributed problem solving systems, AI problem solving paradigms, query processing, and distributed data bases